Reflections (Sequel to Relapse)
by DJ Dubois
Summary: Two months after the events in my previous piece, "Relapse", Clark and Lana fly to New York for a double date with Lex and Patricia Swann. In addition to dinner, they help to rescue Vincent and Catherine from an apparent Muirfield attack. How will the rescue and stay back in Kansas affect all parties? Please r & r! (Clana/VinCat/other couples)
1. Long Distance Date

Reflections [Sequel to "Relapse"]

DJ Dubois

October 2013

Notes Part 1: This one is a Smallville/Beauty and the Beast xover. Ships: Clana (of course), Lex/Patricia, Pete/OC, Byron/OC and VinCat.

Notes Part 2: The characters from Smallville belong to DC and the CW. The characters from Beauty and the Beast belong to the CW. All other characters are fictional and of my own creation. As this is my first attempt at writing Beauty and the Beast fic, comments would be appreciated! Thanks!

Chapter 1

[Kent Farm—Two Months Following Relapse]

The late summer afternoon lingered in western Kansas. Humidity's shroud dampened the residents with sweat and moisture. The sun blazed even as it sank low toward its western rest. A solid storm front hovered over the descending fireball. The high grass swayed ever so slightly in the breeze picking up from that direction.

Sure signs of an impending storm and potential havoc….

Lana stood in the Loft window and breathed deeply of the approaching storm's coolness. She threw her hands back while savoring the oasis of tranquility in a sea of frenetic activity. Summer school had ended along with the threat of back schoolwork for her and Clark both. Still work weighed on them and their friends.

The farm required a lot of oversight with Jonathan still in Kansas City and Martha's frequent trips up there.

The Talon bustled as usual. In addition to the coffee, smoothies, fraps and mochas flowed toward customers. Even with Miranda and Samantha Cooper's help on the floor, Lana struggled to keep up with the orders and the bookkeeping.

And this was during summer. What would she do when school started again in three weeks?

_What indeed?_

She closed her eyes and allowed her super hearing to glean out sounds and the sounds within the sounds. She could hear a cricket over a mile away. Squirrels chittered in the woods as they sought shelter. A few bees buzzed about their hives.

_Natura _played its symphony for her.

She smiled warmly in response.

"Now _that _is what I like."

She grinned widely at the speaker's voice. "And what pray tell is _that_, _Mr. Kent_?" She wheeled around to find her Plaid Knight watching her from the top of the stairs.

He shrugged nonchalantly while walking toward her. "Nothing much. Just saw a princess in her tower. Thought she might need something."

"Oh _really_?" she supposed with a saucy lilt to her voice. She embraced him. "And what do you think that would be?"

"I have a good guess." He smirked before locking his lips onto hers. Their Kryptonian empathy boosted the romantic thread between themselves. Their love strummed _Amor's _harp producing an exquisite lyrical companion to their backdrop. Energy flowed between them. His eyes met hers. They hovered in midair floating on the increasing breeze. "Besides we have a surprise."

"Oh? And what is that?" she inquired. "You're not going to get me more chocolate. Any more and I'll break out."

He shook his head. "Dinner actually. Want some fresh seafood? Lex just called." He waved his cell phone in the air.

"Clark, we need to practice before the rain gets here. You promised we'd get some flying time in," she insisted.

"Oh we will. The restaurant's in New York. He and Patricia are there talking to Dr. Swann about things. They invited us to join them. We have everything set here. Why not?" he elaborated.

She weighed the offer in front of her. "So you get us dinner and practice?"

"On top of a double date and free food. _Free good food_," he continued.

"I think I can trust Lex not to let us down."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "As if I would?"

"Not now." She pecked him on the cheek before zipping back and forth from the house. In a few seconds' time, she'd changed into her best white blouse and charcoal slacks. "Still slow, Clark."

He sighed and rolled his eyes before zipping off to do the same.

["I saw that!"] she cracked telepathically.

A minute later he stood before her in a grey button down shirt and black slacks. "Had to find something I liked." He strode over toward the Loft door. "Ready?" He held his hand out.

"For a flight with you? Twist my arm," she teased as she clasped his hand in hers.

Together they flexed their legs and streaked skyward into the Kansas sky. They soared higher and higher putting the clouds between themselves and any potential witnesses below. As in the practice sessions over the previous couple of months, they remembered to treat the air and wind like water….

Flying was like a sort of swimming with less resistance and a lot of concentration….

"I _love _this!" she exclaimed happily.

He nodded anxiously. While still dealing with his discomfort of heights, he was getting increasingly okay with doing it. "Glad you're having fun."

"It's okay, Clark. Let go!" she urged to reassure him. She did a loop-the-loop and pressed on ahead.

He nodded and managed a smile. The night was having the effect he hoped for….

[Café Browhaven, Ryetown, Long Island—ten minutes later]

Lex checked his watch as he and Patricia Swann waited out in front of the restaurant. Unlike in Kansas, not a cloud floated in the sky to obscure the moon or stars above. A gentle breeze with a hint of approaching autumn kissed their cheeks.

"We have a few minutes yet, Lex. It'll be okay," she assured him.

"I know. They're still breaking in their wheels though. First long trip for them both," he worried.

"Dad's got an eye on it. So does David, I'm sure," she noted purposefully. Seeing the teens in question approaching them, she pointed straight ahead. "You see?"

Lex nodded. "Sorry. I want everyone safe." He walked over. "Hey, Guys. How'd it go?"

"No problems. It's a great view all the way," Lana replied pleasantly.

"Loved sunset. Nearly got into it with a flock of seagulls though," Clark added. "Glad to get that long first one behind us."

"All the more reason to celebrate. Right, Guys?" Lex supposed. "Follow us. Dinner awaits."

"Where's your Dad, Ms. Swann?" Lana wondered.

"He's at the observatory but sends his regards. Great job, both of you," Patricia complimented as they headed into the restaurant.

Dinner and wonders awaited. If only they could last…..


	2. Fight for Love

Chapter 2 [Lowen Estate—Three Hours Later]

[A/N: For those Beauty and the Beast fans there, the story diverges from the first season's finale and second season's premiere. For those not familiar with the show, I'm providing a brief summary. For those who are familiar with the show, yes, I am taking major license here. Bear with me if you would….]

Twenty miles further onto Long Island, a medieval-style granite castle dominated an estate. Much as Lionel Luthor had done in Smallville, the Lowens had purchased and moved their fortress from the UK (in this case, Wales). For the previous seventy years the structure had served notice of the estate's central position in community affairs.

On that evening, the last descendant, Gabriel Lowen, was attempting to cure himself of an inflicted condition. Years earlier, a genetics multinational firm, Muirfield, had rescued him from starvation and certain death on the streets of Calcutta. However, the company had experimented on him and numerous others injecting them with cross species DNA in the hopes of making the perfect super soldiers. However the company nor the US military had not bargained on the drastic side effects nor the extreme bipolar/schizophrenic explosions from the subjects when in their "beast" state. Unlike many of the subjects, Lowen escaped with the help of a kind researcher, Vanessa Chandler. For years he'd suffered with the condition. Now he craved his cure.

Ironically he needed the DNA of a later test subject, Vincent Keller, to get that cure. When the latter had refused to do so, Lowen kidnapped Keller's girlfriend and ironically, the daughter of his rescuer from Muirfield, Catherine Chandler, to force Keller's appearance.

After rescuing her from the tower prison, Keller and Chandler worked together to survive Lowen's frenzied assault. As he held Lowen off without his abilities (and nearly got himself killed in the process), she found a vaccine and injected him with it to level the playing field.

Lowen scored a glancing blow at her knocking her to the granite underneath and stunning her.

Now, having his inner beast back, Keller was more than paying Lowen back for that cheap shot as well as the previous body slams. No way would he allow further damage to his love. Now with eyes glowing, fangs descended and claws fully extended, he tore into the other beast.

The battle was joined…..

Catherine moaned softly while stirring on the cobblestones. She had enough to deal with that evening between the kidnapping attempt and worrying about her companion's well-being. For the previous decade, she'd dealt with her own feelings toward her mother's murder and her rescuer/now boyfriend's situation. She shook her head groggily at the battle unfolding just ten yards away. _Why can't we have a normal life? WHY? Why does he have to be hunted?_

She forced herself to her feet fighting off the pain cutting through her back and legs from the collision with the granite. She couldn't let her love deal with the situation alone. She ground her teeth and willed herself to keep standing.

The two beasts now threw hefty stone chunks torn from the décor around themselves.

Still she wouldn't be denied…nor would she deny her love….

_I'm here, Vincent. You won't lose or die because of me! _She made herself take one step and then another before hearing a peculiar noise overhead. Within seconds, she heard what sounded like a helicopter approaching their position. _What the? No! Muirfield found us again! _She glanced into the ebon dark above.

On cue a military chopper swooped low over the battle site. Its spotlight clearly illuminated the two combatants and witness alike. It made two passes as if to ascertain the best approach to its goal. Then, its side door slid open, revealing a high caliber machine gun.

A rain of lead pelted the scene chipping at the stone and targeting the combatants.

Catherine hit the deck managing to roll out of the indiscriminate hail's path.

Three direct hits perforated Lowen's chest dropping him to the stones in a pool of his own blood.

Keller avoided the shots and watched the chopper's path warily. He growled and started to tear more stones from the walkway under his feet.

Before he could do so, a thick rope net dropped from the chopper ensnaring him. Despite his efforts to rip loose, he could not do so. He howled and screamed animal-like into the darkness.

She knew they could fire on her again. But she didn't care. She forgot the pain. Her feet found their speed and purpose. Her heart propelled her across the expanse to his side. "Vincent! NO!"

Despite his animal state, he reached out to her through the netting.

She took his hand as firmly as she could. She would not be denied. For a brief second, she stared into the sky. She looked at the chopper…no past it….seeking aid from someone or something. Her eyes squinted ignoring the tears forming there. She locked her eyes on him and him alone.

He grabbed on as hard as he dared without crushing her hand in the process. He didn't want to lose her either.

Almost taunting the lovers, the chopper slowly began to rise….

It seemed hopeless…..

TBC


	3. Intervention

Chapter 3

[Café Browhaven]

On the surface, dinner had gone extremely well. All sides savored the freshly prepared seafood and conversation. The soft music, flickering candles and dim lighting lent romantic ambiance to their experience.

Lana enjoyed her shrimp scampi and sighed deeply. She toasted Lex and Patricia's happiness with an adroit tip of her lemonade glass. Her heart felt glad that her business partner had found happiness especially in light of what had happened with his two annulled marriages. She could relax about the Talon as Miranda could run it to a tee. She glanced into Clark's warm inviting pools allowing herself to sink into them.

For his part, Clark sampled the wares on his surf and turf special. The beef and fish melted in his mouth. He had joined his girlfriend in the toast for their friends. Mostly he remained silent choosing to live in the deeper moment….

….living in serenity….

…living in the warm aura of his love for Lana…and hers for him….

Still, for some reason, he couldn't relax. When he tried to ride on _Amor's _harmonious wave with Lana, tremors disturbed their serenity. Much as a ship navigating on rough water, the chop and waves threw them into a state of unrest….

Through their super hearing, four ears discerned the frustrated scream of an animal.

"VINCENT!" a desperate female voice called in a panic.

Clark rubbed his forehead. ["Lana?"]

["You hear it too?"] Lana inquired telepathically. ["What is that?"]

["Someone's in trouble. I can go and check it out. You stay here and…."] he started.

["Where you go, I go, _Mr. Kent_,"] she countered telepathically. She finished her lemonade and wiped her face off with a napkin.

"Something wrong with the meals, Guys?" Lex wondered eyeing his companions.

"We just needed some air," Clark excused himself.

Patricia arched her eyebrow suspiciously. "Dad would rather you didn't get involved in the night chill if you get my drift?"

Lana eyed her boyfriend and then the heiress firmly. "We can deal with it."

"Then dress accordingly." The bald one pulled out a paper bag. "I was going to give this to you later. Don't open until you get out there."

"All right," Clark accepted guardedly. "Be back hopefully in time for dessert. Don't wait." He guided his date toward the front door.

Lex sighed and gulped anxiously at his wine glass.

"You really needed to encourage this?" Patricia queried impatiently.

"I've learned with Clark that if the hero urge strikes, there's no stopping him. Just hope that whatever's out there isn't packing the glowing stuff," Lex informed her.

Patricia pulled her cell out and shook her head. _Dad's going to love this…._

[Outside of the Restaurant]

Lana fought back her impatience as Clark hustled at normal speed out of the café and around the back of the building. ["Clark, we need to find out what's going on!"]

"Yeah but Lex wouldn't have given me this without a reason," Clark countered purposefully. He opened the paper bag to find a pair of dark ski masks with eyeholes cut through them. "Nice."

"Ski masks? It's too warm," she argued before seeing him pull one over his face. Then she realized the disguise element. "I get it."

"Knew you would," he praised while handing her the other mask. As she pulled it on, he listened carefully to the air allowing his enhanced hearing to narrow the targeted sound from the background static. "Listen."

She perked her ears. For several seconds, she only heard birds and the wind. Occasionally a stray burst from a radio station or a cell phone would come through.

Then the animal screams echoed across her consciousness again. She discerned two heartbeats panicked in unison at their impending separation. A gun safety clicked off.

"Clark, got it! We're out of time!" She streaked off into the sky and toward the west.

"Wait up!" He rolled his eyes hoping she wasn't about to barge them into serious trouble. He followed her path as quickly as he could. As he came up on an unfamiliar stone fortress, he found her hovering behind a rather large tree. "What's it look like?"

"The copter's pulling whatever's in that net up. There's a woman trying to pull the net back down. She's going to need help," she determined.

"Cut the net. I'll deal with the chopper," he instructed before zipping off in that direction.

_Still trying to protect me! That figures! _She shook her head before heading for her role.

Meantime within the chopper, two men watched the couple beneath them. In the spotlight, they could see the breaking hand hold between Catherine and Keller. While they admired her resolve, there was business to be done.

A tall snow haired man motioned to a third who stood by an electronic winch. "Bring Keller up. Let's go!"

As the winch started, the second man, a slender dark haired man, trained his machine gun on the desperate detective below. "Damn pain in the ass! I'll deal with her."

Snow Hair pushed the rifle off line and shook his head firmly. "No! Don't shoot! She's my daughter! Just get him onboard and…."

At that moment, the vehicle lurched in the air.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Snow Hair saw twin pin pricks of crimson light in the ebon dark. "What the Hell?"

Seconds later, twin beams of heat and light struck the tail prop causing it to explode.

Number Two ground his teeth. In the flame's light, he could've swore he saw something streak through the air behind them. Accordingly he fired several ineffectual shots as they fell groundward.

"Damn it! BRACE YOURSELF!" Snow Hair commanded while assuming a crash position.

[Three Minutes Earlier]

Keller clawed through the holes in the rope netting. He grabbed at his love's fingers as the winch. He desperately wanted to break loose for his love.

Catherine's eyes watered as her fingers stretched and groaned under the winch's increasing pull. She prayed silently for a miracle…even as her hand lost its grip on his. "No…I…"

In the spotlight, two stars seemed to wobble and descend toward the copter. As they drew close, they revealed twin shadowy masked human forms. One broke away from the other and alighted on top of the rope.

"Who? WHAT?" the imprisoned man-beast bellowed. His eyes glowed yellow at the newcomer.

Lana shook her head at him silently. Grabbing the rope between the net and winch, she snapped it with a sharp yank. With a super quick grab, she caught the top of the net before it could drop to the stones. She streaked back off into the star filled night sky before anyone could stop it.

"VINCENT! What's going on? I…." Catherine gaped in shock at her love and his rescuer's disappearance. She stared incredulously at the inexplicable explosion from the copter's rear rotor blades. She backed away quickly expecting the copter to impact against the cobbles in a fiery wreck.

Mysteriously the vehicle alighted with a hard lurch but without a scratch otherwise.

Before Catherine knew otherwise, she felt a pair of strong arms snake under hers. She felt her feet literally floating on air. The ground became smaller and smaller in a heartbeat as whatever or whoever yanked her into the darkness above. "How are you…?"

"Relax, Miss. I have you. Hang on!" Clark urged while pulling her into his arms and following Lana into the night sky. ["Head for the farm! We can't take a chance!"]

["Right! See you there!"] Lana concurred from a mile away before banking toward the southwest and the Appalachians beyond.

Clark followed quickly heading into the developing overcast and along his girlfriend's already developed path.

Snow Hair jumped out of the damaged copter and glared around in disbelief. He glared back at his companions who limped and rubbed their wounds like amateurs. He saw Lowen's sightless eyes staring coldly into the skies above.

But his quarry—Keller—had vanished. So had his daughter.

His mind swam with details. He couldn't think of any Muirfield's past or present agents who could fly, use heat vision and possess super strength. The two masked operatives' teamwork and precision merited a grudging respect in his eyes. He ground his teeth while speaking into his cell phone, "Base, this is Eagle. Need car sent to my position. Target's gone."

"We saw, Eagle. The car is coming. Out," a gravelly voice reported. "Clean up the mess and come back in."

Snow Hair spat at his companions in disgust. When they'd returned to their base, he'd find out who the masked interlopers were. At the moment, he made sure that everything was off the vehicle. He made sure that the others were off the copter. Then he pushed a button on his watch.

The copter exploded in a fiery burst incinerating any clear evidence.

"This isn't over," Snow Hair groused. Then he walked toward the others as they waited for their reinforcements.

Round One though went to the Kryptonians…He had to deal with that….


	4. Tense Meetings

Chapter 4 [Twenty minutes later]

[Kent Farm]

Lana set her bundle gently on the dirt driveway. During the flight back from New York, the excitement and euphoria wore off. Admittedly the unease had started to eat at her insides. "Who are those guys anyhow?"

"Hey!" Keller demanded. He growled while letting his eyes glow yellow. His inner beast emerged. With his feet firmly planted on the dirt, his claws shredded the net before a superhuman tug freed him from its snarling ties. He snarled while considering the masked woman.

While seeming human, she was clearly anything but. Her heart beat at a different pace. Her scent stung his nostrils. She exuded power from every pore. The flight between Long Island and there proved she had more than met the eye clearly.

For her part, she could feel his anger and change. Much as with Byron Moore's and Dr. Dubois' respective alter egos, she clearly perceived the clear threat. She put her hands up to show him she meant no harm. "It's okay. Sorry I hauled you over here. I meant no harm. We had to get you and your friend out of there." She pulled her mask off revealing her face. "I'm a real friend. See?"

The beast hesitated; his mind clearly confused at the virtual twin of his beloved detective. His eyes glowed brighter. He roared loudly. He stomped toward Lana with his claws extended and swiped at her.

Granted the claws gouged her clothes but not her skin.

"Hey! Stop it!" she protested. ["Clark, where are you? I need help here!"]

["We're almost there."]

_Great. He's dawdling over the Great Lakes with that girl. Meantime I get to deal with the Byron Wannabe. Tremendous! _ She dodged the Beast's second assault at super speed while considering how to get the situation calmed down quickly. She understood the former captive had plenty of reason to be angry. But at her?

Besides she didn't want certain _other things_ stirred up….

Meantime the Beast swiped at her yet again. He thought that Lana was a Muirfield plant of some kind to confuse him—an agent with a great plastic surgery job and a similar scent to hers…In some ways, she seemed to be the same person. He leapt at her again.

She evaded him again….

That beastly assault meant his crashing against the barn. He howled in defiance of her abilities. Then he jerked to a halt and stared at the open Loft door above.

Therein two crimson spots hovered in the darkness. A sinister snarling could clearly be heard.

_Great. As if we need this? _She grimaced at the Child's Apparition form knowing the potential mayhem that could go down at that point.

The Image Screamed in challenge before appearing between her and the Beast. Its eyes glowed bright crimson.

The attacker floated about ten feet off of the ground. He tried to resist the restraint clawing and swinging at the air about himself.

"Zip it, Buttwipe. Ah got yer pug ugly butt. Ah ain't lettin' ya go!" the Image hissed. It turned to her. "Ya 'kay?"

"I'm okay. Thanks. Wish we could calm him down," she declared in frustration. "We shouldn't have to hurt him."

"He needs a whuppin'!" the Dark One groused.

At that moment, Clark alighted to the ground with Catherine in his arms. "What the?"

"Vincent! What's going on? What are you doing to him? And…" Her eyes went wide at the sight in front of herself. She pulled her revolver. "Put him down now!"

There she saw what seemed to be a dark spirit of some kind. Beside that she saw her virtual twin. Much as the Beast had earlier, she stopped dead cold and tried to figure out what kind of trick was going on there. "Who are you, People? You fly? You imitate people? And _that thing_ _what the Hell is it?_"

"We're special, Miss," Clark pointed out. "The spirit you see is a friend. He's very protective of us. If your friend will play nice, he'd let him down."

"So you're not with Muirfield then?" Catherine pressed.

"Who's that?" Lana wondered. "As I was saying to your friend, we didn't mean to startle you. We were trying to help. I'm Lana. He's Clark. The Image is also a friend. You're in Smallville, Kansas."

Catherine considered her twin's assessment carefully. Then she slowly holstered her pistol. "Detective Catherine Chandler, NYPD. He's Vincent." She turned to the Image. "Mind letting him down?"

"Please?" Lana requested of her dark friend.

The Image frowned—or would have if it had a mouth to do it with. "Stoopids!" It waved a "hand" while dropping the Beast to the ground. "Ah'll be watchin'!" With that it vanished.

The Beast sniffed the air in confusion. It didn't understand the auras and scents of the beings around himself and Catherine. Besides the two unknown beings in front of them, he struggled to understand the galloping ghost who'd just appeared, attacked him and then vanished without warning. He didn't get how Catherine somehow had a super powered twin who'd dropped out of thin air and _wasn't _a plant.

And, as with Catherine, he struggled to understand how they were halfway across the country in just under ten minutes.

"So we're really in Kansas?" the detective wondered while assessing the farm around herself.

"We're here all right," Clark affirmed while unmasking. "You're going to be okay."

The Beast snarled and hissed in response to that comment.

"Uh, Detective Chandler, can you tell him it's okay?" Lana requested. "We really don't need a fight right now."

As much as Catherine wanted to keep her boyfriend at full alert, she also knew he needed to be in control. "They seem to be okay, Vincent. Calm down. It's okay." She glanced deeply into his eyes. "Please?"

The Beast glared at the Kryptonian duo but did as his love requested. Slowly his claws retracted. His eyes dimmed in hue. He relinquished control to his alter ego reluctantly.

"Catherine?" Vincent asked hesitantly. He saw Lana off to their left now with Clark. Yet he could also see his beloved in front of himself.

Catherine grinned. "It's me, Vincent! We got away. They helped us get away from Muirfield for now." She embraced him closely and locked lips with him desperately.

Vincent, for his part, returned the gesture hungrily. Minutes earlier, he'd thought that they'd lost everything. Even before saving her from Lowen, he'd interceded for her on many occasions. From that first encounter outside of that small dive of a greasy spoon on the edge of the Midwestern woods, he'd been her guardian angel. He'd saved her life on many occasions and watched her to a _vouyeristic _extent. He'd risked his cover and his life on several occasions for her/without question.

Until the previous year, however, he'd never allowed love to enter the equation….

…that is until she pushed it into their personal equation….

…a variable, he admitted, he surrendered gladly to….

Accordingly he allowed his emotions to flood through his lips into hers heavily.

Clark and Lana simply hung back and admired the scene. Maybe their own date had been crashed. However, after making two new friends and helping them to evade trouble of that nature, that seemed minor.

"Guess we did good tonight?" Clark supposed.

"We did," his girlfriend agreed with a big smile. "Maybe though we might let them get their feet back on the ground?"

"Yeah seems they're doing that on their own," Clark supposed half-seriously.

"Clark, give them their moment. I think we can let them sleep here tonight," she proposed.

"I'll start the coffee going," Clark told them before heading for the house.

Lana rolled her eyes at him before turning back to her counterpart and the latter's companion. _Maybe someday everything will be okay. _"Hey, Guys. We've got some coffee and a place for you to get yourselves together. At least those guys won't find you here."

Vincent shook his head. "Yeah. They will eventually though." He pulled out his cell and tossed it on the ground. Then he crushed it under his boot's sole. "Give me your phone." He motioned to Catherine.

"What? Vincent, you're not…." Catherine started to protest.

"Muirfield can trace us through your cell phone too," Vincent argued. "Sorry but it's necessary."

Catherine shrugged. "Gabe took it from me back at the estate. So they can trace it all they want. They won't find us that way. Wish I could let Tess know where we are."

"Sorry we can't do that. I can't even let J. T. know yet," Vincent insisted. "We will when it's safe."

"I know. I just wish they'd go away," she groused.

Vincent sniffed the air and shrugged. "Yeah me too." He turned to Lana. "Your boyfriend works fast. That coffee smells great."

"Big pot, lots for each of us," Lana informed them with a warm smile. She opened the door. "Go on in. Just let Clark know I'll be right back. I'm going for sandwiches." She rushed off toward town at super speed.

"Going for sandwiches she says. What's next?" Catherine wondered while shaking her head.

"Coffee. Other than our new friend, Clark, it seems clean. Course their ghost buddy could show up again…whatever that is." His eyes glowed yellow. "It's not here although its vibes are all over this place."

"Great. So we're around a haunted farmhouse," Catherine lamented. She led him guardedly into the house. "Clark?" She glanced around the dining room and then toward the kitchen area.

"Come on in. I'll have this coffee ready in a minute. Where's Lana?" Clark wondered as he got the mugs down from the cupboard.

"She went to get sandwiches apparently. Kind of redefines rapid delivery," she explained.

"Probably went to the Talon," Clark supposed. Seeing the reactions from his guests, he clarified, "It's a café in town she manages. Just relax. It'll be okay."

Catherine and Vincent looked at each other. She took an anxious gulp from her coffee. Granted they had evaded their enemies for the moment. But sooner or later, Muirfield would find them. In addition, while grateful for Clark and Lana's assistance, their new friends had questions surrounding them as well.

Life kept getting more interesting…that was for sure….


	5. Reality Check?

Chapter 5 [Talon—Downtown Smallville]

Even as Catherine, Vincent and Clark sat down to coffee, Lana stopped herself in the alley behind the Talon. She looked up at the old theater building and mused over how change rolled over even the best laid dreams of those passing by….

…her parents killed by the meteor shower….

…Clark coming to grips with his alien heritage and Jor-El….

…Professor Dubois' initial transformation in the old lobby therein/now the café proper….

_As much wonder as this place has, it's seen trouble too. Wonder which Catherine and Vincent will see? Maybe we can give them some shelter for a couple of days at least. That is—if he can keep that Beast part under control. Hope Miri's still got some stuff available. _She glanced about the café and saw a couple of customers enjoying their treats and musing on the world. She waved to her friend/chief lieutenant who wiped the counter down. "Hey, Miri!"

"Hi, Boss. What's going on? Thought you and Clark were supposed to be back east with Mr. Luthor," Miranda supposed.

"We were. Something came up though. We…umm…needed to get back here quick. Have any of that chicken salad left?" Lana wondered.

Miranda rolled her eyes at Lana. "You didn't even let Clark get dinner, did you? Lana, come on."

"We got dinner. Trouble jumped in for dessert," Lana quipped half-seriously. "Any word from your uncle?"

"He's over in the corner. Something had him stirred up about fifteen minutes ago. What about the chicken salad though?" Miranda informed her.

Lana shrugged before adding low, "We…have a couple of guests."

"Guests?" Miranda's eyes went wide. "Boss, what's going on?"

"Can you make four sandwiches and put them on my tab? Clark and I are set. Be back. Thanks, Miri." Lana requested before heading over toward the corner booth on the far side. Her butterflies battered against the sides of her stomach. _If he's stirred up, we're lucky Vincent didn't start a full fight. _She saw Professor Dubois sitting by himself perusing a history book intently. _Wonder if I should say something? _

["I don't bite, Lana. Take a seat please,"] he invited telepathically. He sipped absently on his coffee absently. "Hope you're having a better night than I am."

"It's…okay," she replied hesitantly while sliding into the booth across from him. "What's wrong?"

"Headache and some numbness." He held up his right hand revealing the glowing green scar there. "Something's going on around here." Seeing the guilty expression on her face, he quirked an eyebrow. "Care to share?"

"We…rescued a couple of people who needed help back in New York. Clark and I pulled them away from guys shooting at them and us," she reported.

Dave rubbed his temples while feeling the familiar burning therein. "Let me guess, this happened about twenty minutes ago?"

"They were in real trouble. The guy was being hauled off in a rope net like some animal," she pressed. "We had a…misunderstanding when we got back to the farm."

"Misunderstanding?" He chuckled knowingly. "Let me guess…rescued guy turns on you. A certain dark friend appears out of nowhere, kicks the snot out of the guy and then vanishes again without warning. Am I warm?"

Lana nodded. "How would you…?" Then her eyes went wide. "Was that _him_?"

He shrugged. "It's been years since he's done that." He motioned toward the door to the former flower shop. "He saved your Mom, Aunt Nell and Mrs. Kent right over there doing that."

"I see." She considered that point while letting it sink in. The thought of a bilocating entity unnerving her as much as it was probably doing to Vincent back at the farm. "Well he didn't cause any damage."

"Thankfully. And nobody saw you or followed you?" he queried expectantly.

"Clark and I were careful. We made sure nobody could see us from the ground," she reported.

Although not quite convinced, he replied, "As long as you two were careful, fine. Remember you and Clark could be targets too. Hell so could a lot of people in this town. I may ask Lex to keep an eye out." Seeing Miranda setting a paper bag on the counter, he added. "Looks like your take out's ready. Be careful, Lana, okay?"

"We will, Professor. Thanks," she assured him while getting up from the booth and heading back toward the counter.

_Watch yourself, Lana. You don't know what these people can do or who's after them. _He sipped heavily on his mocha before getting up and taking it upstairs with him.

That funny feeling wasn't going away…..

Lana shook her head while heading back to the counter. She didn't understand why the lecture had to be heard or delivered. _We saved those people not pick a fight! Really? _

"I know that look," Miranda supposed. "He lectured you, didn't he?"

"He did." Lana frowned. "We didn't do anything wrong, Miri."

Miranda looked around to ascertain if anyone was eavesdropping. Then she continued, "Nobody's saying that you did. He wants you to be careful. Knowing him, he just doesn't want any uninvited guests showing up."

"There won't be. I appreciate the concern, Miri, but we're safe. It's clear across country. Nobody saw us." Lana grabbed the bag of sandwiches. "Thanks for doing this." She walked pointedly out of the door and toward the alley. Once there she sped off into the darkness and back toward the farm.

Nothing was ever easy…..


	6. Reactions

Chapter 6 [Kent Farm]

After Lana sped off to get their guests' dinner, Clark brought out some sheets and a spare comforter. "It isn't much but you can sleep here tonight. Tomorrow, guess we'll start figuring out which direction you both should go." He set the bedding down on the chair. "I'll strip my bed. Catherine, maybe you can work with that? Vincent can get the couch. I'll sleep in the barn."

"No. We really need to be moving on," Vincent urged.

Catherine wanted to argue. She knew that her partner, Tess, would be looking for her. Likewise J. T. would want to know about him.

…And that wasn't counting the mess about to uncork when they found the former assistant DA lying dead on the cobblestones.

She really did want to let people know they were okay. Problem is being on the run really meant you couldn't…at least not directly.

"At least get a couple of hours of sleep," Clark urged. "Believe me; we have enough firepower here to deal with whatever your 'friends' bring to town."

"You've got some neat tricks, Clark. Don't think though that they won't figure you and Lana out. The haunted defense is a new one on me," Vincent disagreed. "I remember a guy the military was looking at back in 2002. He was some sort of really out there schizo type who could do stuff like that. Then he died just before they moved on him." He heard the door open and close.

"Sorry I took so long. Had to deal with some bashing over ditching Lex," Lana explained half-truthfully while setting the bag of sandwiches down on the table. "The Talon's chicken salad sandwiches are awesome. We use his mother's recipe, Guys." She started setting the four sandwiches out on the counter.

"I'm famished. Thanks!" Catherine expressed while letting herself relax for a second. "I didn't get to eat at Gabe's." She saw Vincent tense. "What is it?"

"Lana, did you say the Talon? This is Smallville, Kansas." Vincent shook his head. "Ghost my ass. It's Dubois, isn't it?"

"You know him?" his girlfriend demanded. Seeing the teens stiffen, she followed up with another question. "But if he's not dead, what happened?"

"Obviously he faked his own death," Vincent supposed. "And…." His eyes glowed yellow in the dim lighting. "He's here!"

"Lionel Luthor hired an assassin to take me out. I should've died, Smart Ass," Dave noted while stepping out of the shadows. "Sorry, Lana, I followed you." His eyes flashed in response at the super soldier.

"Whoa! Everyone, chill! It's okay!" Clark interceded. "Nobody's getting hurt. We're all friends here."

"I'm willing if he is," Dave conceded. He set down a pair of coffee cups and two bags of potato chips. "Those are on me. My niece thought you'd want something to go with those sandwiches. You're running from the government, aren't you?"

"Not the government, Mr. Dubois. Just this group called Muirfield," Catherine clarified.

"A group doing mutant research is affiliated with the government, Miss," Dave insisted. "By the way, I'm Dave Dubois, Professor of Medieval History and horror life survivor. You are?" He held his hand out expectantly.

"Detective Catherine Chandler, NYPD. He's Vincent Keller, Dr. Dubois." She shook his hand while noting the scar on its back. "That looks serious."

"It is. It's also why I'm the 'way out schizo'. So what's the deal with you?" Dave supposed as he shook Vincent's hand.

"Doctor turned experimental super soldier. Fellow horror life survivor," Vincent replied while allowing a slight smile. "And the ghost? Friend of yours?"

"Overprotective alter ego. He takes me over and then watch out, Dr. Keller. I take it that's your situation? If so, Clark's right. We have no reason to fight," Dave urged. "I'm not hunting you." He rubbed his forehead while sitting down. "But something or someone is. Hence why you're here."

"Yeah. It's been some night. Thanks and sorry about that stuff. I get wound up," Vincent apologized. "Tell…uh…_him _that."

"You just did. Thanks," Dave accepted with a smile. He stood up and considered the detective and soldier. "You two make some pair. Maybe once this mess blows over, you might want to meet my wife? She'd have some tips on relationships with guys and other issues if you get my drift? Just consider that, Vincent and Catherine. Nice to have met you. Good luck, you two." With that he rounded the corner, stepped into the shadows and disappeared once more.

Vincent shook his head. "That's some trick he does. No wonder they wanted him." He bit into a sandwich. "Thanks. That really hits the spot."

Clark glanced at Lana while connecting some dots as to their older friend's story. _No wonder he's the way he is! _He recalled how people had tried to use him and his abilities for their own gain in the past. He grimaced as Phelan, Roger Nixon, Morgan Edge, Dr. Garner and Jor-El's respective attempts in that regard flashed across his mind's eye. He frowned.

Seeing Clark's reaction, Lana kept the conversation on an upbeat note. "That's what we like to hear. You both just relax tonight. Give yourselves a break. We'll all feel better after some sleep." She glanced at him curiously. ["What's going on with you? Are you okay?"]

["Just remembering some stuff. I'll tell you later,"] Clark advised telepathically. Then he turned back to the other couple. "We do what we can to make things warm and inviting."

"I'll feel better when I know we're both safe," Catherine insisted. "Those people can find a needle in a haystack, it seems."

"Well this haystack's pretty big," Clark assured them. "Take ten, Guys."

Vincent conceded a nod. "For tonight then. After that, we need to get moving. Find another hiding place."

"Fair enough," Lana agreed with a smile. "Eat then and enjoy for the moment at least." She poured a cup of coffee from the coffee maker. "Besides a superhuman person like yourself would blend in around here."

"And that would be why?" the detective wondered.

Vincent nodded. "Yeah I remember the reports out of here. Some kind of meteor shower or toxic radiation led to human mutation or something. Mind if we hide out here? Maybe we can use the fact that Lana and Cat are like twins to our advantage?"

"Sure," Clark agreed with a grin. "We'll figure all of this out. Now relax."

With that Vincent and Catherine shared a hand squeeze and a smile. Maybe they had found a temporary sanctuary for the moment. One could hope…..


	7. Friends Seeking Answers

Chapter 7

[New York—NYPD Precinct Building]

As Catherine and Vincent adjusted to their temporary hiding place, her precinct buzzed with more than the normal business. In addition to the usual pickpockets, jaywalkers and perpetuators of public mischief, a pair of murders and reports of a standoff on the Island stirred things further….

…the murders taking out the Assistant DA and his girlfriend….

…a prominent homicide detective being caught in the middle of the affair…

It wasn't just another night for coffee and donuts. That's for sure….

As the activity buzzed about her, a twenty-something Puerto Rican woman scratched her head and furrowed her brow. She knew there were ten thousand other places she'd rather have been on that evening. Instead she stared at the empty desk beside hers. _What the Hell are you doing, Cat? _A stream of calls to her partner and the latter's boyfriend had gone unheeded. _So help me, Keller, if you've gotten her into something…._

"Vargas!" a slender yet well-built African American man called adamantly. He stalked over to her desk. "Anything from that mess at the ADA's estate?"

"Nothing," she replied honestly. "It's like someone just wiped up their mess and melted away into the night." She threw her hands up for effect. "Poof!"

"Nothing goes poof, Detective. Someone wanted it gone. We need to find out what," he indicated. "Any word from Chandler?"

"Been trying to call her all night, Captain. Her family's at the hospital with their Dad. I'll try her sister again if I don't hear from her," she reported.

"Do that," he asserted before walking briskly back into the office and slamming the door behind himself.

"Do that. Yeah great, Joe. Thanks." She shook her head before hitting the speed dial on her cell phone. "Come on, Cat. Pick up."

As before, there was no answer….

"Great." She ended the call and slid her phone back into her jeans' pocket. "Maybe that sidekick of Mr. Beast Boy might know something." She stood up and grabbed her jacket. "I'll have to track him down."

Bad enough the events were piling up around them. Bad enough that her partner's father lay in intensive care and fighting for his life. Now they had to deal with the disappearance of Catherine and her freaky boyfriend too.

Some nights it didn't pay to get out of bed…..

[A Half Hour Later—"Gentlemen's Club"—Astoria, NY]

Even as Tess headed off into the Manhattan night, a balding overweight man typed away anxiously on his keyboard and watched the screen for search results. For the previous decade, J. T. Forbes had dedicated himself to protecting his best friend, Vincent, from the government and Muirfield. He'd engineered a secret—more like _reclusive_—life for them both. False digital footprints and trails had kept the pursuers at bay. "Burner phones" allowed them communication without the threat of being tracked. While at the former chemical plant hideout and their current ancient Tammany Hall era home, the computer science professor had continued such activities.

Such things seemed to work….

…until Catherine Chandler barged in with her badge, gun and flashlight primed at the chemical plant….

…until Vincent revealed the connections to her that went beyond their mutual feelings extending back to his relationship with her mother, Vanessa Chandler, a decade before….

_It was much simpler before her! _J. T. rubbed his forehead in consternation. He'd warned his friend against romantic entanglements. Hell, for the sake of the arrangement, he'd just lost out on a relationship of his own with a colleague. Both were for preventing exposure. On the other hand, he'd also conceded that the link between Vincent and Catherine seemed inevitable….

_…destiny…_

_…dust in the wind…._

He viewed the scenes from the tapped security cameras at the Lowen Estate with a concerned eye. Police milled about the area taking in the copter's burnt out husk and the former Assistant DA's covered corpse. He shook his head wondering what had interceded in the developing battle.

Gabe Lowen and the latter's now missing girlfriend had been too well prepared to let something easily derail their plans as they had.

And yet, the plans were derailed by a third party or several such ones. There was no way to tell….

"What could bring down a helicopter like that? Not even Vincent's that strong!" he wondered aloud while trying to get further back into the footage to get his answers.

As he did so, his phone began to ring.

"Take a number," he dismissed while keeping his eyes glued to the screen.

On cue, the video feed froze. A small dialogue box appeared in the screen's middle saying, "ANSWER THE PHONE, DR. FORBES."

'What the Hell?" He stared at his computer before trying every trick he could think of to reboot or shut it down to no avail. "Great." He ground his teeth and slowly picked up the receiver. "Uh, hello?"

"Dr. Forbes, my apologies for freezing your work like this. My name is Brigid Crosby. I'm affiliated with Dr. Virgil Swann."

J. T. blinked in shock. While he didn't know her, he definitely knew who the reclusive astronomer was. After a binge of discoveries that drew a massive group of hero worshippers (including him as a boy admittedly), Swann had gone deep underground so far that one thought he'd ended up in Tibet.

And now Swann was calling him? Swann didn't call anyone. So why him? Why now?

"Dr. Forbes?" she queried.

"Sorry. Yeah I'm here. I thought he was dead or something since nobody's heard from him in like thirty years. What do my missing roommate and a police detective have to do with him?" he wondered.

"Circumstances, Dr. Forbes. These are matters which require a face to face discussion for security purposes. If you'll take your laptop with you, you'll find a dark car waiting outside your front door. It will take you to the observatory," she instructed.

"Dark car? Observatory? Excuse me, Lady, I don't just…."

Crosby counted to ten trying to remember the circumstances involved. "Dr. Forbes, you wish answers, don't you? They will be provided. Others know you've tapped into those security feeds. Come _now_. If you aren't outside in five minutes, the car will be gone." With that she hung up.

He hung up not liking the tone on the other end. Still he had to admit she had a point. _If Muirfield finds me, I'm toast either way! _He powered down the laptop and slid it into his carrying case along with the external hard drive. Then he rushed outside and locked the door.

As she had promised, a dark black limo idled in front of him. Seeing him, a driver of Asian descent wearing a blue suit, white shirt and red tie stepped out of the driver's side. He stepped around the back of the car and opened the door in front of J. T. efficiently. "Good evening, Dr. Forbes. Please have a seat. I'll have you there shortly."

"Uh…okay. You know anything about my friends?" J. T. wondered.

"Dr. Swann will tell you more when we get to our destination. Please make yourself comfortable." The driver shut his door. Then he circled back around to his side before getting into his place and driving them off into the night.

_Great. More smoke and mirrors! Whatever's happening, I just hope Vincent and Catherine are okay! _


	8. Scientists Meet

Chapter 8 [Swann Observatory—45 minutes later]

As the limo cruised through the bustling city traffic toward Manhattan, J. T. tapped his fingers anxiously on the seat's armrest. He glanced forlornly at his burner phone guessing that it was useless since Vincent had destroyed his phone especially since Catherine was more than likely with him. He glanced out the window to find himself heading through the concrete canyons of the city's big island. _Where does a guy like that have an observatory *here*? _He slumped back into the leather cushions and mused over things for the rest of the trip.

Finally the vehicle eased to a stop in front of a nondescript brick structure on Third Avenue.

"We're here, Dr. Forbes." The driver unlocked the doors. "Please get out and walk up the sidewalk toward the front door. Drs. Swann and Crosby are waiting."

The passenger frowned. "Thanks, Guy. It's been real…_not._" He got out of the car with his laptop and hard drive before shutting its door behind himself. Then, without looking back, he trudged up the sidewalk and toward the front door. He considered the structure. Only the massive telescope peeking through the roof revealed its purpose. Otherwise the brick structure might've been any place in New York for that matter. _I should get Swann to give me tips on hiding in plain sight. No wonder he's been off the radar for the last three decades!_

As he reached it, the door clicked and swung open as if by its own accord.

"Oh…KAY!" he realized freezing in his tracks for a minute. He saw a woman watching him in the doorway. "You're Crosby, right?"

"Correct, Dr. Forbes. Please come in. I assure you that you're safe in here," she invited while making an ushering move inside. "Thank you for coming tonight. I appreciate your concerns. Please follow me."

"Okay," he conceded while entering the observatory guardedly. "I know this may be a stupid question but is Dr. Swann connected to the mess earlier? I wasn't aware he had a Muirfield connection or with the government."

"He doesn't have either. If we did, you'd be sitting in a cell right now instead of being led freely and with your laptop toward Dr. Swann's office," she clarified. "Besides you were being watched by others in addition to us." She opened a rather nondescript oak door. "He's waiting for you in there. I'll talk with you later."

"Thanks for the tour. See ya, I guess," he deadpanned while dealing with his nerves. He stepped into the room to find several bookcases filled with scientific works. A massive desk sat in the far corner. A 60 inch monitor sat on a metallic stand against the far wall.

"Greetings, Dr. Forbes," Virgil Swann greeted from where he sat beside the monitor. "I trust your trip over here was pleasant enough?"

"Pleasant isn't the word. Kind of jarring actually," J. T. assessed grimly. "Sorry. I'm just worried about my friends and how the situation's falling apart. After years of idolizing your work, I never thought we'd meet…much less like _this_."

"That's very kind of you to say. As you correctly point out, tonight isn't a time for such sentiments." Swann considered the other scientist carefully. "You've done a lot to keep this situation as you put it under wraps. But, if there's one thing I've learned, one can't do it on their own no matter how many resources one has on hand."

"Yeah well you've definitely got more of those and cooler toys too," J. T. indicated. He felt a pang of pity at his host's condition. However he also marveled at how the latter's mind could keep things going despite his body's condition. "So we're safe here?"

"I assure you that we are. Your friend and his companion aren't here. They have no reason to come after us," Swann noted.

"Speaking of Vincent, I need to find him and Catherine both. I suppose you know where they are?" J. T. wondered.

"I have a fair idea…yes. They're in the Midwest…Kansas actually. I tracked their rescuers' flight paths. Besides Mr. Keller stirred up certain elements there already," Swann detailed.

"Elements?" J. T. queried.

"He turned on one of the rescuers. Seems she had a bodyguard of sorts. Screen, show details of the standoff please," Swann requested while eyeing his guest.

"Standoff?" J. T. watched Lana landing at the Kent Farm and trying to calm Vincent down before the latter went all Beast on her. "She looks like Catherine!"

"She does indeed. Watch further."

The Image's dealing with the Beast made the guest drop his jaw. "What the Hell? Is that a ghost?"

"An astral projection actually. I assure you the person doing it is actually very much alive and is enhanced like your friend," Swann clarified.

"_Astral projection? What the Hell?" _J. T. stared at his host incredulously. "Next you're going to tell me they use magic. You know this guy?"

"We have met in the past. Yes. Relax, Dr. Forbes, your friends are quite safe. Computer, please dial Kal-El's cell phone," Swann requested.

"Dial _who_?" J. T. queried in amazement. He definitely could wrap his head around the vocal remote control. Again Swann had just upped the ante.

"Hello?" Clark asked.

"Kal-El, this is Dr. Swann. Are you and Lana all right?" Swann replied.

"We're fine. Sorry we didn't stop to see you. We had a situation come up. Can I call back? We have company right now," Clark apologized.

"I know. How are your guests? Can they come to the phone? There's somebody who'd like to speak with them," Swann noted.

"Just a minute." Clark's end went silent for a minute.

"Hello?" Vincent inquired cautiously.

"Mr. Keller, correct?" Swann asked expectantly.

"Who wants to know?"

"Relax, Mr. Keller. I am not with the groups pursuing you or your friend. My name is Virgil Swann. Just a minute please," Swann assured him. He nodded to J. T. "Go ahead. He can hear you."

"Vincent? You there?" J. T. wondered.

"J. T.? Where are you? Did they get to you?" Vincent inquired not trusting the nature of the call and knowing the enemies' tactics from the past.

"So far, so good. It's weird. You and Catherine disappear. Then a hero from my past sweeps me away from our place. No Muirfield though. Haven't heard from anyone else either," J. T. reported. "You okay? I saw your fight with that dark thing."

"I'm fine. That guy and I reached a truce. The kids here are going to put us up for a couple of days at least. That'll give us time to think of what to do next," Vincent replied.

"And Catherine?"

"She's okay. Dealing with stuff just like our hosts and I am. Did that guy, Swann, say anything about you being tracked or anything?" Vincent detailed.

"Yeah. I won't go back there. All I had time to do was grab the laptop and hard drive before my ride left. But I'm all right for now. We'll have to find a new hideout," J. T. conceded. "Let me know when you decide what to do through the usual protocols. I don't want to be on too long. Enjoy the wheat."

"Yeah. We will," Vincent replied dryly while rolling his eyes. "Be safe."

"You too," J. T. insisted as Swann hung up the line. "Thanks."

"Best that all parties know that they're safe. Don't worry. You were speaking on a secure line. It's been a long day. I'd like you to get some rest. In the morning, we can plan what to do next," Swann decided.

"Uh…okay." While he wanted to plan and get on the situation like _now_, J. T. did feel exhausted by the previous three days' events. "At least I know they're safe. Thanks for the ride and for doing this."

"My pleasure. Have a nice rest." Swann eyed Crosby eliciting a sage nod from her. Then he watched as she led their guest toward her quarters. _Everything is in hand, Dr. Forbes. I will do what I can to keep our friends safe. All of them…._


	9. FBI Involvement

Chapter 9

[FBI Satellite Office—Harrisburg, PA—An hour later]

Even in its most outlying of branch offices, the bureau continued to digest and strategize over its cases. Agents and analysts skimmed mountains of data. Covert phone calls were made. Missions launched and wrapped up from the central bullpen area.

Others skidded to a wrecked stop before being retooled and sent back out again….

Snow Hair walked briskly into the bullpen. Although fuming about how the mission had gone south, he had to collect his thoughts and consider their options. He knew a rapid discovery of Keller's whereabouts would be needed before the latter would disappear again.

Especially since the latter was with his daughter…..

_Catherine… _He frowned while easing his way through a gauntlet of desks and dividers toward the corner office. He recalled the affair he'd had with Vanessa Chandler decades before. He allowed himself a brief smile while recalling how beautiful the researcher had been. Alas he recalled how they'd broken up before their daughter's birth….

…or how he'd watched the feisty little girl grow up from a distance. He'd never let Catherine know the truth preferring to allow her the fantasy of the family Vanessa built with Thomas Chandler and sister, Heather. He felt proud when Catherine had graduated from the police academy becoming a top flight detective for the NYPD. He'd begun to bide his time preparing to recruit her for the bureau himself.

Now _this _had to happen….

He sighed and ran his hand through the snow white hair. "What do you see in that freak? _What?_" He pulled a picture from his desk and studied it intensely.

Vanessa had sent it to him following Catherine's high school graduation not knowing he'd been there himself. One of the few mementos he had of his ladies.

And now Catherine was sucked into the mess.

So much for _those plans_….

"Get on task. Keller's your mission not her." He firmly put the picture back in the drawer and straightened his tie. He turned on his computer and shook his head. He'd deal with the two morons and the pilot who'd helped to screw up the mission. His mind had another question though.

_Who were those two masked interlopers anyhow? How the Hell did they just streak into the picture from the sky, take them out efficiently and then disappear again with Keller and Catherine in tow?_

He didn't think Muirfield had any operatives who could fly. He'd get to the bottom of it though as soon as he wrote up the wreck of a mission.

An insistent knock rattled off the closed oak door before it opened allowing a slender dark haired man into the area. "Good evening, Agent Reynolds." He shut the door behind himself.

Reynolds considered the other man suppressing his own indignation. "Director Petersen. I was just writing up the field report. We don't know what happened."

Petersen nodded. "You were ambushed, Reynolds. I'm not thrilled about being caught with our pants down like that. Find out if Zhao or his operatives were behind it. Meantime we're tracking their trajectories."

"Low cloud cover over the eastern seaboard's going to make it difficult," Reynolds assessed gruffly.

"Our satellites can deal with it. Just our tax dollars at work," Petersen countered. "And I know about Detective Chandler. Sure you can handle that angle?"

Reynolds stiffened. "I can handle her, Director Petersen. I didn't want her shot for nothing. Keller was already gone. Richards was about to take her out. I stopped him."

Petersen nodded. "Fine. I figured as much. This isn't a dressing down, Reynolds. You've been one of our best field agents. You've also dealt with Muirfield overseas. That's why I had you brought back for this case. I am bringing in Singleton to work with us too. He'll be here shortly."

"I see." Reynolds knew that Petersen and Singleton had a long association of their own particularly in dealing with metahumans and mutants. "He's not bad. In case we run into resistance wherever, you two know, right?"

"Let's hope not." Petersen sighed. He still remembered the last super enhanced struggle from two decades earlier. "I don't want any body bags on this case like that one."

"Yeah I guess not. I just don't want my daughter ending up like your friend or his family. I'm sure you agree?" Reynolds concurred.

The superior nodded. Despite his attempts to go after Hansei Arighatto and Lionel Luthor over the years, he'd always been rebuffed. He could still see the bodies of his friends' relatives strewn like flotsam in the burning rubble of a Scituate, MA home. His heart still ached that he couldn't bury his friend, the latter's wife or their children. "Just take care of it. While we'll do everything we can for her, remember, taking down Keller is the mission here, Reynolds. Got it?"

"Yeah. Fine. I'll see what Zhao knows. Maybe Singleton might know something," Reynolds replied while picking up the phone.

"If there's anything, I will have it forwarded to you. Thank you." With that, Petersen departed while closing the door behind himself. _I thought it would've been easier by now. _He headed toward his own office.

"Excuse me, Director Petersen?" a slender blonde woman with glasses cut in. "Satellite came back. Paths noted." She handed him a manila envelope.

"Good work, Dempster." He glanced toward Reynolds' office. "Agent Reynolds is about to contact the other party in this. I'll give this to him. Thank you."

"You're welcome. " With a brief smile, she returned to her work.

He headed across the bullpen and toward his office. He walked in and made sure he was sitting down before he opened the packet. His eyes skimmed the data going wide. "_There? _Are you kidding me?" He set the info down on his desk and rubbed his forehead.

"Must be something else for you to freak like that." A brown haired wiry man in a brown suit stuck his head into the area.

"Come in and shut the door behind you," Petersen insisted. "Just got the satellite projections. First though, how was your trip?"

"About as exciting as a drive can be from Philly," Singleton deadpanned while trying to take the edge off of a situation. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I may have _literally_." Petersen pointed at the intel. "While you were driving here, we combed the satellite data from tonight's botched raid on Long Island."

"Yeah I heard. Shot the Assistant DA and everything. I'm surprised Reynolds isn't on his way to polar bear duty for that mess," Singleton declared with a bit of irritability. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Go for it." Petersen got up tersely and pulled out a couple of mugs. "Reynolds did the best he could. He was ambushed by two mutants on sight. No way we could've guessed that. Washington didn't let us task a couple of sentries." He poured two cups of coffee. "You still take yours the same way?"

"Love those budget cuts. Yeah I do. Thanks." Singleton studied the flight track and stared. "Terrific. Talk about memory lane."

"Now I'm glad you could help with this, Garth," Petersen revealed. "Smallville's not your average place."

"Never has been. So when do we take off?" Singleton supposed.

"Within the hour. Reynolds needs to see if Zhao knows anything. I have other angles working on known associates of Keller's and his girlfriend. This is going to be personal for all concerned," Petersen informed him.

_Joy joy. _Singleton shook his head. _What's next? Maybe we'll get Dave's ghost next? Hope not. _He took a big draught from his cup.

This night just got a lot more interesting…..

Reynolds tapped his desk while waiting for the call to go through. He really hated dealing with Zhao and Muirfield. _Makes getting Keller back all the more vital. Then we can deal with that sleaze! _

"Reynolds, what were you doing?" Zhao spat while skipping over the pleasantries.

"Good evening to you too. Remember you are dealing with a Federal agent, Zhao. Tone it down," Reynolds replied evenly. "We ran into complications."

"You missed your window. I could've done better myself!" the Asian administrator retorted sharply.

"Maybe if two super powered operatives didn't crash the party, we wouldn't have. Sure you didn't task some of your own people?" Reynolds accused.

"I did no such thing! We had an arrangement, Reynolds. Lowen's dead. We don't have Keller. Forbes has vanished," Zhao hissed. "You'd best get results!" With that he slammed the receiver down.

"You'd better get results." Reynolds rolled his eyes sarcastically while setting the receiver down. "I'll make a note of that. I'm really going to enjoy taking Zhao down." He stood and opened his door slightly. He noted that Petersen's door was closed meaning the latter was in conference with someone….

…the someone in question probably being Garth Singleton…

"Looks like our two metahuman bloodhounds are together again. Wonderful." He strode across the bullpen area toward the coffee machine.

Caffeine would be needed before the next stage came about. Definitely needed…..


End file.
